Achieving interoperability of power system protection using SCADA and PMU information

Protection system relying on SCADA information is the cornerstone of transmission system operation. Recently, phasor measurement units have been deployed on a wider scale and several applications based on the synchronized measurement information are developed. Based on the Romanian policy regarding Smart Grid deployment, in this paper a proposal for information exchange between existing SCADA and the newly deployed synchrophasor measurement system is presented. Both the physical and communication layers SCADA-PDC-PMUs are described. Data exchange protocol needs to fulfill both protection requirements for each system element and for the dispatching center, in order to achieve the EMS-SCADA functionalities. It is underlined the importance of achieving interoperability using as example the state estimation routinely performed by the TSO. It is described a platform for data and information exchange where new logical blocks are integrated for achieving fast protection functionalities using the synchronized information provided by PMUs. The paper concludes with practical recommendations and future work.